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enKorean Sociological Image #52: Are Celebrities Removing the Stigma of Lingerie Modelling?http://koreabridge.net/post/korean-sociological-image-52-are-celebrities-removing-stigma-lingerie-modelling-james-turnbull
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<p>After writing about double-standards in the objectification of men’s and women’s bodies in the Korean media <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2010/10/11/korean-media-male-objectification-origins/" rel="nofollow">last month</a>, this month I was looking forward to wrapping that up. Finally, I thought, I’d be able to remove the prominent “Abs vs. Breasts” folder on my Firefox toolbar.</p>
<p>Alas, I’ve decided some more context is needed first. Which by coincidence, also allows me to get rid of the even more embarrassing “Lingerie” folder in the process.</p>
<p>But while the topic sounds facetious perhaps, having overwhelmingly Caucasian models in lingerie advertisements has definite effects on how Koreans perceive both Caucasians’ and their own bodies and sexuality. If you consider what Michael Hurt wrote in his blog <em><a href="http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/2005/10/niggers_savages.html" rel="nofollow">Scribblings of the Metropolitician</a></em> back in 2005 for instance:</p>
<blockquote><p>…One thing that I also notice is that in underwear and other commercials that require people to be scantily-clad, only white people seem to be plastered up on walls in the near-buff. Now, it may be the sense that Korean folks – especially women – would be considered too reserved and above that sort of thing (what I call the “cult of Confucian domesticity”). Maybe that’s linked to the stereotyped expectation that white people always be running around all nasty and hanging out already, as is their “way.” Another possibility has to do with the reaction I hear from Korean people when I mention this, which is that white people just “look better” with less clothes, since Koreans have “short leg” syndrome and gams that look like “radishes.” The men are more “manly” and just look more “natural” with their shirts off…</p></blockquote>
<p>Then I’m sure you’ll appreciate that while that artificial dichotomy between “naturally” nude, more sexual Caucasians (and by extension, all Westerners) and more modest, virginal, pure Koreans is neither <a href="http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2010/09/opposition-to-interracial-dating-and.html" rel="nofollow">new</a>, solely confined to Korea, nor wholly a construct of the Korean media, at the very least this odd feature of Korean lingerie advertisements certainly helps <em>sustain</em> it. And that dichotomy has <a href="http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2010/10/thousands-of-korean-women-are-sex.html" rel="nofollow">largely</a> <a href="http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2010/10/sex-crime-prevention-training-for.html" rel="nofollow">negative</a> effects on all Westerners here, <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2010/09/17/groping-street-harassment-korea/" rel="nofollow">especially</a> <a href="http://imnopicasso.blogspot.com/2010/10/myth-part-iv-awakening-women-after.html" rel="nofollow">women</a>.</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/thats-y-korean-advertisement-nipple1.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-15394" title="That&#039;s Y Korean Advertisement Nipple" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/thats-y-korean-advertisement-nipple1.jpg?w=680&amp;h=870" alt="" width="680" height="870" /></a>( Caucasian models used for <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2010/07/13/westerners-nipples-sexuality-korean-media/" rel="nofollow">the<del></del> first erect nipple ever</a> featured in a Korean ad {see <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2009/12/23/korean-sexuality-media/" rel="nofollow">here</a> also}. Source: <a href="http://www.metroseoul.co.kr/" rel="nofollow"><em>Metro</em></a>, July 8 2010, p. 7. )</h6>
<p>Already having discussed the evidence for and consequences of the sexualization of Caucasian women in great depth <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2009/09/13/sexualizing-caucasian-women/" rel="nofollow">last September</a> however, then let me just quickly summarize relevant points from it here:</p>
<p><strong>•</strong> Empirical studies have shown that Korean women’s magazines have a disproportionate numbers of Caucasian female models in them, with some even have more Caucasian models than Korean ones overall. Unfortunately though, none of those studies made any distinction between lingerie and non-lingerie advertisements.</p>
<p><strong>•</strong> Before laws banning foreign models were lifted in 1994, many Korean female porn stars were also lingerie models, which discouraged female models from lingerie modeling. This fact only really became public in June 2008 however, which explains why those earlier studies didn’t take it into account (or Michael Hurt back in 2005).</p>
<p><strong>•</strong> Of course, there have always been exceptions, with the <em><a href="http://yes.goodpeople.co.kr/" rel="nofollow">Yes’</a></em> company especially having no qualms about using Korean models. But for other companies, they are usually anonymous, with either their heads not being visible or them literally covering themselves up by whatever means available. See the examples below from Korean lingerie company <em><a href="http://www.storyis.co.kr/" rel="nofollow">StoryIS’s</a></em> website for instance, or #3 <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2009/04/27/korean-feminist-reader-27th-april-2009/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, where the Korean female models look simply absurd hiding under large hats and sunglasses.</p>
<p><em>Update: I forgot to mention lingerie infomercials, on which it’s common to see Caucasian models wearing the lingerie alongside fully-clothed Korean models carrying the lingerie on coathangers.</em></p>
<p><strong>• </strong>Moreover, when female <em>celebrities</em> are used, they are invariably fully-clothed. And so much so in fact, that it’s no exaggeration to say that they may not have been actually wearing the advertised lingerie <em>at all</em> considering that you couldn’t actually see it.</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/korean-lingerie-models-hiding-their-faces.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-17790" title="Korean Lingerie Models Hiding Their Faces" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/korean-lingerie-models-hiding-their-faces.jpg?w=680&amp;h=524" alt="" width="680" height="524" /></a>( Sources: <a href="http://blog.naver.com/chanbi00/90097577673" rel="nofollow">left</a>, <a href="http://www.storyis.co.kr/front/php/product.php?product_no=3815&amp;main_cate_no=1&amp;display_group=3" rel="nofollow">right</a> )</h6>
<p>But that was over a year ago. At the end of that post though, I did note a (then) recent advertisement by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Min-a" rel="nofollow">Shin Min-a</a> that you <em>could</em> see it in, and simply had no idea that it was just the beginning of a veritable flood of celebrity lingerie photoshoots thereafter. Finally noticing by the following summer though, by its end I had: <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/omonatheydidnt/4358287.html" rel="nofollow">Ivy</a> (in the opening image); <a href="http://blog.naver.com/zziixx/140102523888" rel="nofollow">Shin Min-a</a> (again); <a href="http://www.allkpop.com/2010/08/park-han-byul-models-lingerie-for-ceci" rel="nofollow">Park Han-byul</a>; <a href="http://www.allkpop.com/2010/08/seo-woo-for-yes-lingerie" rel="nofollow">Seo-woo</a>; <a href="http://www.allkpop.com/2010/07/girls-day-dress-in-lingeries-for-esquire" rel="nofollow">Girls’ Day</a>; <a href="http://soheelover.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/pictures-gong-hyo-jin-calvin-klein-cosmopolitan-magazine/" rel="nofollow">Gong Hyo-jin</a>; <a href="http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&amp;mid=sec&amp;sid1=106&amp;oid=109&amp;aid=0002114488" rel="nofollow">Song Ji-hyo</a>; <a href="http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&amp;mid=sec&amp;sid1=106&amp;oid=241&amp;aid=0002008518" rel="nofollow">LPG</a>; <a href="http://popseoul.com/2010/06/15/min-hyo-rin-turns-sexy-for-ceci/" rel="nofollow">Min Hyo-rin</a>; <a href="http://bntnews.hankyung.com/apps/news?popup=0&amp;nkey=201008200858433&amp;c1=02&amp;c2=01&amp;nid=02&amp;mode=sub_view" rel="nofollow">Lee Si-yeong</a>; <a href="http://blog.naver.com/zziixx/140113951614" rel="nofollow">Shin Se-Kyeong</a>; and <a href="http://soheelover.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/pictures-yoon-eun-hye-vivien-lingerie-spring-2009-collection/" rel="nofollow">Yoon Eun-hye</a> in that infamous “Lingerie” folder.</p>
<p>Then I discovered a Korean blog on lingerie while researching this post, and from just <a href="http://blog.naver.com/chanbi00/90098521428" rel="nofollow">one post</a> there I learned that I had to add at least Baek Ji-young, Lee Hyori, Seo In-young, Hyuna, Hyo-min, and Yu-jin to that list also…by which point I frankly gave up keeping track. And belatedly realized that, of course, Korean celebrities have actually been modeling lingerie for far longer than just the past year (I’d completely forgotten about <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2009/03/02/korean-feminist-reader-2-march-2009/" rel="nofollow">this</a> example for instance).</p>
<p>But still, I think it’s no coincidence that I would notice so many photoshoots in such a short space of time. And for that reason, would argue that the most recent ones at least should definitely be seen in the wider context of Korean entertainment companies’ ever-increasing need for the greater exposure (no pun intended) and differentiation of their celebrities in order to maximize profits. Recall what <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2010/10/11/korean-media-male-objectification-origins/" rel="nofollow">I wrote</a> of the ensuing objectification of male singers for instance:</p>
<blockquote><p>…whereas it’s mostly young girl-groups that have sprung up in the past year or so (see <a href="http://sookyeong.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/fun-fact-of-kpop-your-idol-age-chart-for-year-2010/" rel="nofollow">here</a> for a handy chart), likewise Korean male singers have to adapt to the Korean music industry’s <a href="http://www.allkpop.com/2010/10/the-korean-music-industry-is-losing-creativity" rel="nofollow">overwhelming reliance</a> on musicians’ product endorsements, appearances on variety shows, and casting in dramas to make profits (as opposed to <a href="http://www.rjkoehler.com/2010/05/04/so-why-do-korean-audiences-get-to-see-iron-man-2-before-japan/" rel="nofollow">actually selling music</a>). This encourages their agencies to make them stand out and differentiate themselves from each other by coming up ever more sexual lyrics and/or performances and music videos: namely, more abs from the guys, let alone <a href="http://seoulbeats.com/2010/08/was-2pm-too-beastly/" rel="nofollow">feigned fellatio</a>, <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2010/01/11/south-korea-age-of-consent/" rel="nofollow">feigned sex on beds</a>, or even <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2010/01/05/korean-women-objectification/#comment-23054" rel="nofollow">virtual rapes</a> of audience members on stage during performances.</p></blockquote>
<p>Regardless of the motives however, on the positive side surely these photoshoots can not but help to remove the stigma associated with the industry in Korea? And, once that’s been achieved, then that will in turn begin to (at least slightly) challenge that hypersexual Caucasians vs. chaste Koreans dichotomy as mentioned earlier.</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/taekyeon-abs1.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-17800" title="Taekyeon Abs" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/taekyeon-abs1.jpg?w=680&amp;h=872" alt="" width="680" height="872" /></a>( <a href="http://blog.naver.com/pmsteddy/150095958099" rel="nofollow">Source</a> )</h6>
<p>But in reality, perhaps things will not be quite as quick or as simple as that. For while I merely bookmarked those photoshoots as they came up in K-pop blogs, in hindsight I should also have been making the following distinctions between them:</p>
<ol>
<li>Advertisements for lingerie companies in which just the lingerie is worn</li>
<li>Advertisements for lingerie companies in which the lingerie is hidden partially or completely under clothing</li>
<li>Photoshoots for men’s or women’s magazines like <em>Maxim</em> and <em>Cosmopoltian</em></li>
<li>Korean <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2010/10/30/special-k-photoshop-korea/#comment-30387" rel="nofollow"><em>Gravia</em></a> photoshoots</li>
</ol>
<p>And from what I can tell now, most of the them seem to be #3, with Ivy’s opening newspaper cover probably being the most prominent exception (and what prompted this post). Hoping to find an authoritative Korean perspective on all that as I begin working on this post then, probably by no coincidence – I guess wasn’t the only person to notice this trend – <em>Yahoo! Korea</em> linked to what appeared to be <a href="http://kr.blog.yahoo.com/bban1105/307.html" rel="nofollow">precisely that</a> the next day, and so I happily translated it that same night.</p>
<p>In the light of the next day though, I was simply stunned at its terrible quality, and after trying to edit it to some level of coherence but abjectly failing, gave up on the post in disgust; <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2010/09/28/sexual-korean-advertising/" rel="nofollow">regularly complaining</a> about Korean portal sites, then I should have known better really. But 3 weeks later, I realize that it would be a pity to waste all that time spent translating, and that at the very least fans of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwang_Jung_Eum" rel="nofollow">Hwang Jung-eum</a> (황정음) and <em><a href="http://wiki.d-addicts.com/High_Kick_Through_the_Roof" rel="nofollow"><em>High Kick Through the Roof</em></a> </em>(지붕킥) may still like it. And who knows? You may be able to gain some insights from it that I missed.</p>
<p>But if not, then let me end this post here by apologizing in advance if I have possibly conflated Caucasians with Westerners too often and too readily in this post, but which is frankly difficult to avoid in a post focused on the former, but raising issues that still have large effects on the latter. And to better understand that, at the suggestion of a reader I now have <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imperial-Citizens-Koreans-Race-Seoul/dp/0804758875" rel="nofollow"><em>Imperial Citizens: Koreans and Race from Seoul to LA</em></a> by Nadia Kim (2008) sitting on my desk, which will be my reading for my <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/2010/10/05/korean-gender-issues-lecture-wellesley-college/" rel="nofollow">flight to Boston</a> next week!^^</p>
<h3><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/hwang-jung-eum-lingerie.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-17812" title="Hwang Jung-eum Lingerie" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/hwang-jung-eum-lingerie.jpg?w=500&amp;h=264" alt="" width="500" height="264" /></a>황정음 속옷화보, 득보다 실이 많은 노출</h3>
<p><strong>Hwang Jung-eum Loses More than She Gains by Showing Her Body</strong></p>
<p>황정음이 속옷 화보를 찍었네요. 그동안 깜찍하고 귀여운 얼굴만 보다가 섹시하고 볼륨감 있는 그녀의 노출 사진을 보고 조금 놀랐어요. 노출 정도가 생각보다 파격적이고 아찔하기 때문이에요. 황정음은 이번 노출이 처음이라고 하는데요. 처음치고는 너무 도발적이고 과감한 노출이에요. 그만큼 몸매에 자신 있었기 때문이겠죠. 요즘 속옷 화보는 신세경, 한예슬도 찍었고 TV광고에도 나오고 있는데, 노출이 심한 편이 아니죠. 몸매 노출보다 속옷에 더 비중을 뒀기 때문이에요.</p>
<p>Wow, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwang_Jung_Eum" rel="nofollow">Hwang Jung-eum</a> has done a lingerie photoshoot. So far, we’ve only ever really seen her small, cute face, so I was a little surprised by her sexy, curvaceous body in these photos. Because she showed so much more than I thought, I’m really a little light-headed too. This is the first time she’s showed so much of her body like this, and it’s much more provocative than I would have expected for her first time; I guess she was confident about her body. These days, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Se-kyeong" rel="nofollow">Shin Se-kyeong</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Ye_Seul" rel="nofollow">Han Ye-seul</a> have appeared in lingerie photoshoots and television advertisements, and [yet] in those the amount of exposure tends not to be so serious. In those, the focus is more on the lingerie than their bodies.</p>
<p>속옷 광고 화보는 잘 나가는 여자 톱스타들만 찍는다고 하죠? 고소영, 송혜교, 김남주, 김태희 등 당대 톱스타들도 유명 속옷 광고를 찍었어요. 그런데 이들의 속옷 광고는 S라인만 자랑할 뿐 노출이 거의 없습니다. 말 그대로 속옷을 광고한 화보였고 몸매 자랑을 한 것이 아니었어요. 보통 무명 연예인들이 속옷 광고를 찍을 때는 노출 수위가 높아집니다. 그런데 나중에 유명 배우가 된 뒤 이런 노출 화보로 굴욕을 당하기도 합니다. 모델 시절 속옷만 입고 해맑게 웃고 있는 홍수아의 속옷 화보도 한 때 인터넷에서 화제가 되기도 했어요. 그리고 수애, 오윤아도 데뷔 전 속옷 화보에 출연한 경험이 있고요.</p>
<p>Only women who are already well on the route to becoming top-stars do lingerie advertisement photoshoots, yes? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_So_Young" rel="nofollow">Go So-young</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_Hye-gyo" rel="nofollow">Song Hye-gyo</a>, <a href="http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Kim_Nam_Joo" rel="nofollow">Kim Nam-joo</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Tae-hee" rel="nofollow">Kim Tae-hee</a>, and others [at] that age have all appeared in lingerie advertisements for famous brands. However, in those showing off and exposing their S-lines is almost completely absent. Indeed, there are virtually none that show off the model’s body. Take more common ones featuring unknown models however, and the level of exposure goes up markedly. And if that woman becomes famous later, then this might come back to haunt her. For instance, <a href="http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Hong_Soo_Ah" rel="nofollow">Hong Soo-ah</a> appeared in one wearing just lingerie and a bright smile, and this become a hot internet topic later. And <a href="http://www.hancinema.net/korean_Soo-ae.php" rel="nofollow">Soo-ae</a> and <a href="http://www.hancinema.net/korean_Oh_Yoon-ah.php" rel="nofollow">Oh Yoon-ah</a> also have the experience of modeling lingerie before becoming famous.</p>
<p>그런데 일부 스타의 경우 지나친 노출 속옷을 찍어 구설수에 오르기도 했죠. 가수 아이비도 얼마 전 속옷 화보를 찍었는데, 노출이 너무 파격적이라 네티즌들의 입방아에 오르내리기도 했어요. 속옷 모델이라 어느 정도의 노출은 당연하지만 플레이보이 잡지를 연상케 하는 놰쇄적인 느낌이 너무 강했기 때문이죠. 속옷보다 아이비의 몸매가 더 시선을 끌었으니 주객이 전도된 경우라 할 수 있어요.</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/ivy-guess-underwear.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-17272" title="Ivy Guess Underwear" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/ivy-guess-underwear.jpg?w=680&amp;h=452" alt="" width="680" height="452" /></a>( <a href="http://cafe.naver.com/galaxyl.cafe?iframe_url=/ArticleRead.nhn%3Farticleid=11429&amp;topReferer=http://cafeblog.search.naver.com%26imgsrc=20101009_300/gydjs486_1286557770608HGbWH_jpg/htm_201009171113490107000001070100_002_gydjs486.jpg" rel="nofollow">Source</a> )</h6>
<p>In some stars’ cases, showing far too much in lingerie photoshoots gave rise to them being the subjects of malicious gossip and rumors. For instance, a little while ago <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_%28singer%29" rel="nofollow">Ivy</a> [above] was in one. Because she showed so much of her body, a lot of netizens were gossiping about her. And while of course lingerie models have to show at least little of their bodies, in her case it was so much that it reminded you of Playboy magazine. Even though the photoshoot was supposedly for showing off the underwear, it seemed to be showing off Ivy’s body far far more.</p>
<p>그렇다면 황정음의 경우는 어떨까요? 황정음의 속옷화보도 아이비에 버금갈 정도에요. 한번도 노출을 하지 않다가 왜 이렇게 파격적인 노출을 했는지 모르겠네요. 가슴이 훤히 드러난 사진을 보면 깜찍함은 온데 간데 없고 섹시함이 풍기는데 그리 귀티나는 이미지는 아니에요. 섹시미가 보이긴 보이는데, 인위적인 느낌이 든다고 할까요? 그리고 가슴이 드러난 사진은 뽀샵 흔적이 너무 강하네요.</p>
<p>If so, what to make of the case of Hwang Jung-eum? It’s very similar to Ivy’s. She’s never done anything like this before, so I don’t know why she suddenly appeared in such a revealing photoshoot. Her breasts are very exposed, she’s lost her cuteness, and while she gives off some sexiness she’s not very elegant-looking. Moreover, don’t you feel her sexiness is a little artificial? And there are signs that her breasts have been heavily photoshopped too.</p>
<p>요즘 ‘자이언트’ 촬영하면서 체중이 6kg 늘었다고 하는데, 다리를 보니 ‘말라깽이’ 그 자체네요. 보정작업 흔적이 역력한데 소속사는 촬영 후 보정을 하지 않았다고 합니다. 눈에 빤히 보이는 거짓말이죠. 황정음만 하는 것이 아니라 모든 모델이 뽀샵을 하는데, 왜 굳이 하지 않았다고 하는지 모르겠네요.</p>
<p><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/lingerie-hwang-jung-eum1.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-17817" title="Lingerie Hwang Jung-eum" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/lingerie-hwang-jung-eum1.jpg?w=500&amp;h=625" alt="" width="500" height="625" /></a>These days, while shooting for the drama <a href="http://www.hancinema.net/korean_drama_Giant.php" rel="nofollow"><em>Giant</em></a> she gained 6kg, but her legs remain extremely thin. There are obvious signs that this was compensated for in the photos then, but her agency says this didn’t happen. But you can tell this is a lie. And it’s not like Hwang Jung-eum is the only model that gets photoshopped, so I have no idea why her agency would so adamantly deny it.</p>
<p>황정음 속옷 화보는 신세경과 비교해 보면 알 수 있어요. 신세경의 속옷 화보는 드레스에 속옷이 보일듯 말듯한 신비주의 컨셉으로 찍었어요. 이는 신세경의 청순미와 신비주의 컨셉이 딱 맞아 떨어진 절묘한 사진에요. 사실 이런 화보가 여배우에게 좋은 이미지를 남길 수 있어요. 물론 노출이 무조건 나쁘다는 것은 아니지만 황정음의 노출 화보는 그동안 쌓아놓은 깜찍 이미지를 한꺼번에 날릴 수 있는 위험한 화보에요. 지금 황정음은 나름 톱스타기 때문에 굳이 노출 화보를 찍을 이유가 없어요.</p>
<p>If we compare Hwang Jung-eum’s photoshoot with Shin Se-kyeong’s then I think we can learn the reason. The concept of Shin Se-kyeung’s photoshoot is a mysterious and subtle one that has the lingerie under the dress, leaving us always guessing as to whether we can see it or not. This mysterious and innocent-beauty concept is well suited to her image, and in fact it does no harm to any female actor. In contrast, while of course showing off one’s body is not bad per se, Hwang Jung-eum has long cultivated a very cute image and there is a danger that she’s ruined it all at once with this photoshoot. And seeing as she’s sort of a top star already now, then I don’t know the reason why she did it.</p>
<p>황정음은 ‘지붕킥’ 이후 돈과 인기를 한번에 거머쥔 스타인데, 화보촬영으로 돈을 더 벌려한 것은 아니라고 봅니다. 그렇다면 배우로서 깜찍, 엉뚱 이미지를 벗기위한 노출이라고 볼 수 있는데요. 한 번에 너무 파격적인 노출을 하다보니 그녀의 속옷 화보를 보고 당황스러운 사람이 많을 겁니다. 같은 속옷 화보를 찍어도 배우에 따라 그 느낌이 다른데, 황정음은 신세경, 한예슬과는 달리 ‘싼티’가 좀 풍기네요. 소속사는 다양한 모습의 황정음이 있다고 봐달라며 절대 이미지 변신을 위한 파격적인 시도는 아니라고 강조했는데요. 사진은 아찔한데 어떻게 그냥 일반적인 화보로 봐달라는 건지 모르겠네요.</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/high-kick-hwang-jung-eun.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-17826" title="high kick Hwang Jung-eun" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/high-kick-hwang-jung-eun.jpg?w=680&amp;h=378" alt="" width="680" height="378" /></a>( <a href="http://engel9100.blog.me/130093488624" rel="nofollow">Source</a> )</h6>
<p>Hwang Jung-eum suddenly gained a lot of money and popularity through appearing in <em>High Kick Through the Roof</em>, so she didn’t do this photoshoot for the sake of money. Perhaps then, it was in order to lose her cute image gained through acting, even though many people will be confused by it because it is so revealing? But different actresses can do the same kind of lingerie photoshoots [James: this contradicts all the above, as they are quite different] and give off quite different impressions, and unlike Shin Se-kyeung or Han Yae-sul, Hwang Jung-eum comes across as very cheap. However, her agency stress that this photoshoot was absolutely not done to change her image, just to show a different side of her. Yet how can anyone claim it is just your average, run-of-the-mill lingerie photoshoot?</p>
<p>‘ 자이언트’에서 황정음은 가수 이미주로 출연하고 있는데, 주상욱과의 키스신으로 얼마전 남친 김용준이 키스장면을 보며 담배를 물고 있는 사진이 화제가 되기도 했지요. 이번 속옷 화보 촬영에 김용준은 쿨하게 응원을 해주었다고 하는데, 황정음의 노출사진이 수많은 남자들에게 공개되는데 쿨한 반응을 보였다니 의외네요. 주상욱과의 키스신보다 속옷 화보가 낫다고 본 건가요?</p>
<p>In <em>Giant</em>, Hwang Jung-eum plays the singer Lee Mee-ju, and in reaction to one scene in which she kisses her partner (actor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joo_Sang_Wook" rel="nofollow">Ju Sang-wook</a>) her real-life boyfriend (singer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Young_Jun" rel="nofollow">Kim Young-jun</a>) posted a spoof picture of himself biting a cigarette in anger at seeing it on the internet. And in reaction to her photoshoot, he was very cool about it, which was surprising: who would be so cool about having his girlfriend exposed to so many other men? Did he really think that that was better than the kiss scene?</p>
<p><a href="http://hongssam77.blog.me/140115802748" rel="nofollow"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-17828" title="lingerie Hwang Jung-eun" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/lingerie-hwang-jung-eun.jpg?w=421&amp;h=485" alt="" width="421" height="485" /></a>여자 연예인들에게 화보촬영은 자신의 가치를 드러낼 수 있는 아주 좋은 기회죠. 해마다 여름만 되면 너도 나도 비키니 몸매를 자랑하는 것도 자신의 상품성을 과시(?)하는 것이라고 볼 수 있어요. 황정음도 자신의 상품적 가치를 더 높이기 위해 이번 속옷 화보를 찍었을 겁니다. 그러나 이번 속옷화보 촬영은 황정음에겐 득보다 실이 많을 것 같네요. ‘지붕킥’으로 대박스타가 된 그녀는 정극 ‘자이언트’에서 연기력 논란을 빚기도 했는데, 배우로서 연기로 승부하는 것보다 노출로 승부한다는 느낌을 줄 수 있기 때문이에요. 그런데 그 노출이 인위적인 뽀샵으로 귀티보다 ‘싼티’가 나는게 더 문제가 아닐까요?</p>
<p>Photoshoots are a good opportunity for female entertainers to demonstrate their worth. Just like every summer we can see women showing off their bodies in bikinis, which also is like demonstrating their product value [James: that's literally what it says]. But Hwang Jung-eum did the photoshoot to <em>increase</em> her worth. However, through doing so she actually lost more than she gained, because while she became a big star through <em>High Kick Through the Roof</em>, now she is appearing in the much more conventional drama <em>Giant</em>, in which her acting abilities have been questioned. In light of this, then at the very least the photoshoot seems very badly-timed, and surely not appearing elegant but instead literally overexposed and heavily photoshopped is in fact much more of a problem for her than a benefit?</p>
<p>‘지붕킥’에서 깜찍한 춤과 애교 연기로 하루 아침에 벼락스타가 된 것에 대해 황정음을 곱지 않은 시선으로 보는 사람들도 많습니다. ‘잘 나갈 때 조신하게 행동해라’는 말과 달리 황정음은 노출화보를 찍는 등 오히려 더 오버하고 있는 듯 합니다. 벤츠를 타면서도 노출 화보를 찍은 황정음을 곱게 보는 사람은 많지 않아요. ‘자이언트’를 통해 정극 연기 도전을 하는 황정음은 오직 연기력으로 배우 수명을 오래가게 할 수 있는 길을 찾아야 합니다. 노출 화보는 황정음에게 독이 될 수 있으니까요.</p>
<p>Through her cute dancing and aegyo in <em>High Kick Through the Roof</em>, Hwang Jung-eum became famous almost literally overnight, which many people seem to resent. Rather than following the old adage to behave well while one is in the spotlight however, rather this photoshoot of hers is just too much, and there are not many people who would have done while already rich enough to drive a Mercedes Benz. With <em>Giant</em>, Hwang Jung-eum was presented with a challenge that she could have used to increase her acting ability and sustain a long acting career. Unfortunately, she seems to have squandered it with this photoshoot. (end)</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/hwang-jung-eun-high-kick.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-17829" title="Hwang Jung-eun high kick" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/hwang-jung-eun-high-kick.jpg?w=680&amp;h=380" alt="" width="680" height="380" /></a>( <a href="http://engel9100.blog.me/130093488624" rel="nofollow">Source</a> )</h6>
<p><em>p. s. Not related to Korea, but you may also enjoy the post <a href="http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/11/21/lingerie-as-liberating/" rel="nofollow">Lingerie as liberating?</a> from Sociological Images on a woman (in an advertisement) feeling “hot” as a result of wearing lingerie, only then to cover it up with a burqa</em></p>
<p><em>(For all posts in the Korean Sociological Images series, see <a href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/korean-sociological-images/" rel="nofollow">here</a>)</em></p>
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http://koreabridge.net/post/korean-sociological-image-52-are-celebrities-removing-stigma-lingerie-modelling-james-turnbull#commentsBody ImageGender SocializationInterracial RelationshipsKorean AdvertisementsKorean FashionKorean LingerieKorean MediaKorean SexualityKorean Sociological ImagesLingeriePornographySex in AdvertisingSexual Relationships속옷Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:04:49 +0000James Turnbull16633 at http://koreabridge.netKorean Sociological Image #18: Sexualizing Caucasian Womenhttp://koreabridge.net/post/korean-sociological-image-18-sexualizing-caucasian-women
<div class="fb-social-like-widget"><fb:like href="http://koreabridge.net/post/korean-sociological-image-18-sexualizing-caucasian-women" send="true" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" width="350" action="like" font="verdana" colorscheme="dark"></fb:like></div><div class="tweetbutton"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-via="koreabridge" data-related="koreabridgejobs:kb_classifieds" data-text="" data-url="http://koreabridge.net/post/korean-sociological-image-18-sexualizing-caucasian-women" data-lang="en">Tweet</a></div><div class='snap_preview'><br /><h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/sexist-korean-advertisment-caucasian-women.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-9513" title="Sexist Korean advertisment caucasian women" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/sexist-korean-advertisment-caucasian-women.jpg?w=680&amp;h=1014" alt="Sexist Korean advertisment caucasian women" width="680" height="1014" /></a>(Source: <a href="http://www.metroseoul.co.kr/" rel="nofollow">Busan Metro,</a> 02/09/09)<a href="http://www.metroseoul.co.kr/" rel="nofollow"><br />
</a></h6>
<p>An image that simply begs commentary. But what <em>is</em> noteworthy about it exactly?</p>
<p>As you might expect, there is nothing in the Korean text to explain the presence of the women, nor their revealing clothing. The very first thing it reminded me of then, was the tendency to use women’s bodies to showcase vehicles, well satirized <a href="http://englishrussia.com/?p=1434&amp;f=2l" rel="nofollow">here</a> by replacing the women in a similar photoshoot with men (the ensuing humor and absurdity demonstrating the strength of <a href="http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/07/08/satirizing-sitcoms/" rel="nofollow">the gendered norm</a>). But in this particular case, even the presence of the car rather than, say, a boat is a little strange, and besides which my general purpose with <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/category/korean-sociological-images/" rel="nofollow">this series</a> is to highlight interesting features of <em>Korean</em> society, albeit sometimes ones that are interesting not so much because they are unique but because they are exaggerated here. In that vein, it is the use of Caucasian rather than Korean women that is most of interest.</p>
<p>At first, it troubled me that this is but a single example: are Korean advertisers not <em>allowed</em> to use non-Korean models without overanalysis and – yes – perhaps implicit criticism from myself for doing so? No, of course not. But I was also reluctant to simply put the advertisement aside: with provisions made for the ambiguity of the term when applied to more ethnically heter0genous societies than Korea, I doubt that a similar advertisement with 3 so obviously “foreign” women would pass unnoticed in any other countries either. But still, how to approach it?</p>
<p>Serendipitously, <a href="http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/09/05/cultural-patterns-one-example-at-a-time/" rel="nofollow">earlier this week</a> Lisa at <em>Sociological Images</em> provided an answer, indeed an overall rationale that will inform this series in the future also. Here it is, but adapted to <em>this</em> blog:</p>
<p><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2008/11/06/the-continuing-sexual-allure-of-the-caucasian-female/" rel="nofollow"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3636" title="korean-boy-looking-up-caucasian-womens-skirt" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/korean-boy-looking-up-caucasian-womens-skirt.jpg?w=424&amp;h=1000" alt="korean-boy-looking-up-caucasian-womens-skirt" width="424" height="1000" /></a><em>I often present a single example of a cultural pattern. If you’re a member or observer of the relevant culture, that single example might ring true. That is, you might recognize it as one manifestation of something you see “out there” all the time.</em></p>
<p><em>But it’s still just one example and it’s not very convincing to someone who is skeptical that the cultural pattern exists, especially if it’s subtle.</em></p>
<p><em>But one advantage of being a niche blogger is that posts on one’s subject(s) are cumulative. I can even put up single manifestations of a cultural pattern and, even if it’s not very convincing at the time, the other evidence on the blog (and the evidence yet to come) may sway even some skeptics.</em></p>
<p><em>It is in that spirit that I offer the opening advertisement.</em></p>
<p><em>The choice of the models ethnicity may be random, but I am going to suggest that it is not…</em></p>
<p>And yet there are so many examples of Caucasians in Korean advertisements on this blog to provide, and so many factors involved in the choices of them, that to simply provide dozens of links at this point would be to confuse rather than enlighten readers. Therefore, my purpose with this post is to provide a single definitive guide to the subject that people can refer back to in future, not least myself!</p>
<p>To begin then, consider the empirical evidence for the disproportionate numbers of Caucasian women in Korean advertisements. Surprisingly given their seeming ubiquity though (something I’ll return to), there have actually been very few English-language studies of East Asian advertisements that have incorporated race as a main factor of their inquiries, and I am aware of only 3 that have done so of Korean ones. Here they are in chronological order of publication, with very brief summaries of their findings and links to the posts where I discuss them in more detail:</p>
<p>• Hovland, R. et.al. <strong>“Gender Role Portrayals in American and Korean Advertisements”,</strong> <em>(Sex Roles: A Journal of Research</em>, December 2005; open access copy no longer available).</p>
<p>Using various 2000 editions of selected Korean and American women’s magazines, Hovland et. al. found that 30% of Korean advertisements in them featured Caucasian female models, whereas only 1.9% of US advertisements showed Asian female models. Of particular note here, both Korean and US magazines for middle-aged women showed more Korean and Caucasian models than their counterparts for younger women respectively; see <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/change-in-its-cultural-context-comparing-gender-role-portrayals-in-american-and-korean-advertisements/" rel="nofollow">here</a> for the details.</p>
<p>• Kim, Minjeong &amp; Lennon, Sharron<strong> “Content Analysis of Diet Advertisements: A Cross-National Comparison of Korean and U.S. Women’s Magazines”</strong> (<em>Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, </em>October 2006; open access copy no longer available).</p>
<p>As discussed in the second half of <a href="../2008/04/26/korean-women-part-3-final-a-caucasian-ideal/" rel="nofollow">this</a> post, the advertisements in the various 2001 editions of selected Korean women’s magazines examined actually had <em>more</em> Caucasian women than Koreans: 52.3% vs. 47.7% respectively, compared to 84.9% Caucasian women in advertisements in U.S. magazines.</p>
<p>• Nam Kyoungtae, Lee, Guiohk &amp; Hwang, Jang-Sun<strong> “Gender Role Stereotypes Depicted by Western and Korean Advertising Models in Korean Adolescent Girls’ Magazines“,</strong> Paper presented at the annual meeting of the <em>International Communication Association</em>, TBA, San Francisco, CA, May 23, 2007; downloadable <a href="http://www.allacademic.com/one/www/www/index.php?cmd=www_search&amp;offset=0&amp;limit=5&amp;multi_search_search_mode=publication&amp;multi_search_publication_fulltext_mod=fulltext&amp;textfield_submit=true&amp;search_module=multi_search&amp;search=Search&amp;search_field=title_idx&amp;fulltext_search=Gender+Role+Stereotypes+Depicted+by+Western+and+Korean+Advertising+Models+in+Korean+Adolescent+Girls%92+Magazines" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/whisen-air-conditioner-advertisement-han-ye-seul-song-seung-hun.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-5796" title="whisen-air-conditioner-advertisement-han-ye-seul-song-seung-hun" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/whisen-air-conditioner-advertisement-han-ye-seul-song-seung-hun.jpg?w=680&amp;h=429" alt="whisen-air-conditioner-advertisement-han-ye-seul-song-seung-hun" width="680" height="429" /></a>( Source: <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/korean-air-conditioner-advertisement/" rel="nofollow">Korea Times</a> )</h6>
<p>Of the total of 644 female models found in selected advertisements (one page or bigger and showing full adults) from selected Korean women’s magazines from 2002 and 2003, 57% were Korean and 43% were Western. Of 299 male models counted, 59.2% were Korean and 40.8% Western. And of particular interest, as I wrote <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/why-size-matters-feminine-representations-of-men-in-korean-advertising/" rel="nofollow">here</a>:</p>
<p><em>…Western women were more likely to be depicted in revealing clothes and or nude than Korean women, but at the same time they were also likely to be portrayed as independent, self-assured, and assertive than them too, and by no means just in a sexual sense. Again, this finding is true of Western and Korean men too…</em></p>
<p>To be fair, this at least in part echoes the <a href="../2008/09/19/change-in-its-cultural-context-comparing-gender-role-portrayals-in-american-and-korean-advertisements/" rel="nofollow">the hypersexual state of Western advertising today</a>. And rather than supporting the artificial dichotomy between chaste Koreans and oversexualized Caucasian (or Westerners) that at the heart of this post, the internal dynamics of <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/giving-the-consumer-what-she-wants-korean-womens-role-in-the-westernization-of-the-korean-media/" rel="nofollow">the Korean magazine industry</a> reveal that Korean women are <em>active</em> and <em>willing</em> consumers of the cultural and sexual norms that such advertisements literally embody, the incorporation of which into patriarchal Korea <a href="http://www.gordsellar.com/2008/10/11/soybean-paste-girls-as-a-barometer-of-or-catalyst-of-consumerization-of-korean-society/" rel="nofollow">is not without friction</a>. Not to imply that all positive changes in Korea are Western-derived of course, but regardless there are certainly a lot of advertisements with Caucasians out there.</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/lee-min-ho-cass-jessica-gomes.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-9637" title="lee min-ho cass jessica gomes" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/lee-min-ho-cass-jessica-gomes.jpg?w=680&amp;h=451" alt="lee min-ho cass jessica gomes" width="680" height="451" /></a>( Source: <a href="http://blog.naver.com/wkwmd81/80067538367" rel="nofollow">Naver</a> )</h6>
<p>Or <em>are</em> there? I’d wager that many heads would have been nodding with that last statement, and, granted, <em>some</em> Korean clothing labels for instance – <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bean_Pole_International" rel="nofollow">Beanpole</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.hazzys.com/hzjsp/index.jsp" rel="nofollow">Hazzys</a></em> come instantly to mind – do seem to use exclusively Caucasian models. But then appearances by Caucasians in <em>Korean-made</em> television commercials like <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/korea-sex/" rel="nofollow">the above</a>, for instance, are actually the exception rather than the rule. And with the proviso that White privilege is very much alive in Korea (the existence of which I take for granted that readers agree on), and that <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/08/16/from-asian-to-caucasian-response-from-a-reader/" rel="nofollow">this has strong influences</a> on both Koreans’ preferred cosmetic surgery operations and their huge numbers, in hindsight I’d be hard pressed to think of <em>any</em> segment of the Korean advertising industry that used Caucasian models to the extent researchers found in women’s magazines. Unless of course, a great many of them were for <em>lingerie</em> that is.</p>
<p>As long-term readers will well know, it turns out that the reason for this is because before the restrictions against the use of foreign models in advertising was lifted in 1994, lingerie modeling in Korea <a href="http://www.feetmanseoul.com/2008/06/12/too-many-foreign-models-in-korea/" rel="nofollow">was often done by pornographic actors</a>. This gave it a negative image among Korean female models, the enduring strength of which was revealed recently by <a href="http://www.feetmanseoul.com/2009/04/26/%EB%AA%B8%EC%A7%B1-are-you-serious/" rel="nofollow">these</a> ones who <em>did</em> model lingerie but nevertheless felt compelled to literally disguise themselves while doing so, and all quite ironic considering how willing many are willing to objectify their breasts otherwise (see <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/09/07/yu-in-yeong-bikini/" rel="nofollow"></a><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/nikon-e3-autofocus-breasts/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, the video <a href="../2009/09/07/yu-in-yeong-bikini/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, and <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2008/12/18/sexism-is-in-the-eye-of-thedirector/" rel="nofollow">here</a> for some notorious examples). Case closed then?</p>
<p><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/yoon-eun-hye-viviens-summer-collection.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-7406" title="Yoon Eun-hye Vivien&#039;s Summer Collection" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/yoon-eun-hye-viviens-summer-collection.jpg?w=323&amp;h=935" alt="Yoon Eun-hye Vivien&#039;s Summer Collection" width="323" height="935" /></a>Not quite. Consider what I wrote <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/korean-feminist-reader-june-1-2009/" rel="nofollow">a few months ago</a> on the subject:</p>
<p><em>…lingerie advertisements are ubiquitous in Korea, and it’s a rare commute when I don’t have the slightly surreal experience of seeing ones featuring scantily clad Caucasians in one subway car, then seeing others with fully-clothed Koreans like [<a href="http://www.allkpop.com/index.php/full_story/yoon_eun_hye_models_lingerie/" rel="nofollow">these</a>] in another when I transfer (sometimes, you can even see both in the same car). Seriously, it’s no exaggeration to say that Koreans’ convoluted and often contradictory notions of sexuality and race literally stare me in the face everyday, and in a form that means that I’m particularly likely to sit up and take notice.</em></p>
<p>Yes, that is indeed a lingerie advertisement on the right (<a href="http://k-popped.com/2009/05/yoon-eun-hye-models-viviens-summer.html" rel="nofollow">source</a>). And regardless of the actual reasons for a phenomenon, once we think we’ve found the reasons for it, those shape the filter through which we take in new data. Personally then, I originally thought the use of Caucasian lingerie models demonstrated that Korean women had Caucasian body ideals, which prompted me to write <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2008/04/26/korean-women-part-3-final-a-caucasian-ideal/" rel="nofollow">this</a> post on the subject last April. Once the stigma attached to lingerie modeling came to light that June though, then that link I had made was no longer sustainable…<em>but not the Caucasian body ideals themselves,</em> which there’s still a wealth of <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/korean-cosmetic-surgery/" rel="nofollow"><em>other</em></a> evidence for (and see <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/08/16/from-asian-to-caucasian-response-from-a-reader/" rel="nofollow">this</a> post again). In that vein, while 4 years ago Michael Hurt was also mistaken in his proffered reasons for the numbers of Caucasian women in lingerie advertisements,<em> </em>writing in his blog <em><a href="http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/2005/10/niggers_savages.html" rel="nofollow">Scribblings of the Metropolitician</a></em>…</p>
<p><em>One thing that I also notice is that in underwear and other commercials that require people to be scantily-clad, only white people seem to be plastered up on walls in the near-buff. Now, it may be the sense that Korean folks – especially women – would be considered too reserved and above that sort of thing (what I call the “cult of Confucian domesticity”). Maybe that’s linked to the stereotyped expectation that white people always be running around all nasty and hanging out already, as is their “way.” Another possibility has to do with the reaction I hear from Korean people when I mention this, which is that white people just “look better” with less clothes, since Koreans have “short leg” syndrome and gams that look like “radishes.” The men are more “manly” and just look more “natural” with their shirts off. Hmm. The thoughts of the culturally colonialized? Perhaps I’m being too harsh? My hunch is that it’s all of the above. <a href="http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/2005/10/niggers_savages.html" rel="nofollow">Take a look</a>.</em></p>
<p>…not only did I heartily agree with his thoughts when I first read them, but I <em>still</em> agree with them, because they are not <em>just </em>based on the numbers of Caucasians in lingerie advertisements.<em> </em>In particular, of the following 2003 advertisement with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahn_Jung-Hwan" rel="nofollow">Ahn Jung-hwan</a> (안정환) he wrote:</p>
<p><em>A recent favorite, reflecting the relative position of Korean masculinity vis a vis whiteness, specifically white women. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the relatively greater financial power that has made Korean men an attractive partner – or at least potential plaything – of Eastern European and Russian women, and that many of them now enter the country under the E-6 “entertainment visa.” In any case, this is a fascinating statement on the changing status of “the white” in relation to Korean masculinity. No longer the inaccessible Playboy fantasy held by many men in a developing Korea that had been culturally (and partially symbolically sexually) dominated by the United States – now the tables are turned. The product being sold here is a cream to make/keep one’s skin “white.” Don’t even get me started.</em></p>
<p>And lest long-time observers of Korea feel that this particular advertisement has become somewhat iconic and overanalysed by the Korean blogosphere, it is but one of <a href="../2009/07/06/koreans-westerners-and-sex-again/" rel="nofollow">many</a> <a href="../2009/07/18/korea-sex/" rel="nofollow">examples</a>.</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/essor-white-advertisement-ahn-jung-hwan.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1873" title="essor-white-advertisement-ahn-jung-hwan" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/essor-white-advertisement-ahn-jung-hwan.jpg?w=600&amp;h=412" alt="essor-white-advertisement-ahn-jung-hwan" width="600" height="412" /></a>( Source: <a href="http://www.somangcos.co.kr/about/pr/ab_pr_list_2003.asp" rel="nofollow">Somang Cosmetics</a> )</h6>
<p>Before providing a context for those in the remainder of this post though, I should point out that I don’t think that lingerie advertisements <em>by definition</em> sexualize the models featured, and so I disagree with Michael Hurt’s seeing further evidence of the sexualization of Caucasian women in the ridiculous setting of <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/sexuality-and-korean-advertising-part-1-international-influences/hunt-innerwear-caucasian-models-in-lingerie/" rel="nofollow">this</a> advertisement for instance, as regardless of the source of the advertisement and/or the ethnicity of the models, worldwide they can similarly have “folks sitting around in their skivvies [that] could just as well be on the veranda of a bistro in the south of France. Eating strawberries in a bathtub in lingerie, with a towel wrapped around one’s head.” Indeed, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/menacingpanda/210823857/" rel="nofollow">rare Korean lingerie advertisements with Korean models</a> are no different, and when it comes to sexualizing lingerie – nay, almost <em>any</em> item of woman’s clothing – it often pays to be subtle. Consider this one with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Mina" rel="nofollow">Shin Min-a</a> (신민아) that came out this summer for instance: while it is significant because previously one never saw Korean celebrities<em> </em> wearing the lingerie <em>at all</em> when they endorsed it, and is probably a belated reaction to the fact that discreetly showing one’s lingerie off <a href="../2008/10/25/deconstructing-korean-womens-changing-attitudes-to-lingerie-bikinis-and-their-bodies-in-the-2000s/" rel="nofollow">has actually been the fashion for years now</a>, personally I see much more significance in the fact that it seems designed for a <em>male</em> gaze.</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/shin-mina-vivian-bra-lingerie-advertisement.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-9617" title="Shin Mina Vivian Bra Lingerie Advertisement" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/shin-mina-vivian-bra-lingerie-advertisement.jpg?w=680&amp;h=480" alt="Shin Mina Vivian Bra Lingerie Advertisement" width="680" height="480" /></a>( Source: <a href="http://blog.naver.com/zziixx/140088462866" rel="nofollow">Zziixx</a> )</h6>
<p>As you might vaguely recall, the advertisement that prompted this post wasn’t actually a lingerie advertisement. But having Caucasians in the vast majority of those – for whatever reasons – does<em> </em>at least <em>feed into</em> the false dichotomy of chaste Koreans and overly-sexualized Caucasians. And although it’s by no means the most blatant example of its kind, the choice of outfits in it still makes it very much Exhibit A in the argument for the existence of those stereotypes (as an aside, see <a href="http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/09/02/angry-green-girl-sexualizing-women-for-the-environment/" rel="nofollow">this</a> post for the issues raised when skimpy clothing is donned for a good cause, like women in bikinis washing only hybrid cars). Let’s now consider the other evidence.</p>
<p>First, there were the <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/nudist-beaches-for-westerners-koreans-stereotypes-exposed/" rel="nofollow">recent plans to set up a nudist beach on Jeju island</a> specifically in order to attract <em>foreign tourists</em>, especially Caucasians/Westerners. <em>Apparently,</em> this was because many were already regularly stripping off on Jeju beaches despite local sensibilities, but in the absence of anything to support those claims, and considering that Korean reporters regularly simply make stuff up and/or impose their own opinions on a report while attributing them to others (see <a href="http://koreabeat.com/?p=4351#comment-44033" rel="nofollow">here</a> and #1 <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/korean-gender-reader-july-27-2009/" rel="nofollow">here</a> respectively for recent examples), then when I heard of the idea I was much more inclined to believe that Jeju government officials came up with it completely independently. And why? Probably based on the conflation of nudity at beaches with sex said <em><a href="http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/02/nude-beach-coming-to-jeju.html" rel="nofollow">Brian in Jeollanam-do</a></em>, “implying that the point of the former is to stimulate one’s appetite for the latter,” and which in turn points to “a pretty base assessment of the tastes of foreigners and foreign tourists.”</p>
<p>To be fair, in many senses exaggerated notions of foreigners sexuality are merely a method by which particularly older Koreans deal with and account for <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/why-korean-girls-dont-say-no-contraception-commercials-condom-use-and-double-standards-in-south-korea/" rel="nofollow">the uncomfortable reality of Koreans’ own sexuality</a>, and so as Michael Hurt points out <a href="http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/2005/10/young_love.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>, public displays of affection by young Koreans are often rationalized by <em>certain</em> Koreans by claiming that the couples involved are Japanese. No, really. But for a more tangible “other,” you need the Occident of course, which is why Korean public opinion holds Western celebrities to such different standards to Korean ones.</p>
<h6><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/lady-gaga-seoul.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8020" title="Lady Gaga Seoul" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/lady-gaga-seoul.jpg?w=680&amp;h=540" alt="Lady Gaga Seoul" width="680" height="540" /></a>( Source: <a href="http://blog.naver.com/spp0805/120071250728" rel="nofollow">Naver</a> )</h6>
<p>So while it is okay for <a href="http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/07/lets-hope-koreans-dont-become-stupid.html" rel="nofollow">Korean women to dress up as Paris Hilton</a> in order to promote the Korean airing of her reality show for instance, and she regularly appears on Korean television, endorses Korean products, and literally her every word about Korea is literally lapped up (<a href="http://www.rjkoehler.com/2006/06/13/paris-hilton-has-heard-of-korea/" rel="nofollow">no matter how inane</a>), on the other hand Korean female’s celebrities careers have been ruined <a href="../2009/04/13/korean-feminist-reader-13th-april-2009/" rel="nofollow">simply for having sex with their boyfriends</a>, or even merely being <a href="http://www.dramabeans.com/2009/08/ivy-plans-her-big-return/" rel="nofollow"><em>accused</em></a> of making a Hiltonesque sex tape. True, Korea’s well-known cultural cringe is very much involved when the attention of Western celebrities – <em>any celebrity</em> – is sought, but the same principles still apply for both less notorious Western stars and Korean celebrities’ less extreme deviations from sexual norms. Hence like Paris Hilton, Lady Gaga above was recently fawned over on <a href="http://blog.ningin.com/2009/06/19/missy-kim-favorites-friday-june-19th/" rel="nofollow">her recent visit to Seoul</a>, and yet seemingly every other week: Korean groups are banned from the airwaves for even the most innocuous of lyrics (see #2 <a href="../2009/07/27/korean-gender-reader-july-27-2009/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, and the more recent case <a href="http://www.allkpop.com/index.php/full_story/4minute_gets_banned_by_kbs/" rel="nofollow">here</a>); female groups struggle to present female sexuality <a href="../2009/08/23/korean-gender-reader-2/" rel="nofollow">as something other than dressing and acting like schoolgirls</a>; and international models are criticized for <a href="../2009/08/31/kim-daul-nude/" rel="nofollow">appearing nude in photoshoots</a> (yes, I can admit <a href="../2009/08/31/kim-daul-nude/#comment-19663" rel="nofollow">my mistakes</a>). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.</p>
<p>But you get the idea. Next then, there is confirmation from the grass roots: Brian <a href="http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/07/tap-that-ass.html" rel="nofollow">provides ample evidence</a> that foreign women in bikinis are heavily targeted by Korean newspaper photographers for instance, and I must also mention that a great many Caucasian female friends have mentioned being groped and otherwise sexually harassed by Korean men to me. Of course, that is merely anecdotal evidence, and not having my blogger’s hat on at the time (I <em>do</em> take it off occasionally), I didn’t think to ask how that compared to experiences in their home countries. Now that I <em>am</em> in that frame of mind though, I’d be grateful if readers could fill me in with their own experiences, and by all means if you <em>haven’t</em> ever faced either problem too, as responders can be somewhat self-selecting sometimes.</p>
<p>But of course Korean women are also frequently photographed at beaches and/or and sexually harassed, and indeed because of that there was a short-lived experiment with <a href="http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/08/117_12872.html" rel="nofollow">women-only subway cars</a> in Seoul a few years ago (but <a href="http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/08/117_49493.html" rel="nofollow">groping is on the rise</a> again). Despite that, there are still good reasons to suppose that Caucasians might be targeted more: in addition to the stereotypes perpetuated by Western media itself of course, there is the ethnic make-up of prostitutes here.</p>
<p><a href="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/korean-prostitution-statistics.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9664" title="Korean Prostitution Statistics" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/korean-prostitution-statistics.jpg?w=217&amp;h=300" alt="Korean Prostitution Statistics" width="217" height="300" /></a>In itself, the Korean prostitution industry is so big, so intimately tied to Korea’s economic development, and with such a pervasive impact on the <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/korean-feminist-reader-27th-april-2009/" rel="nofollow">current low position of women here</a>, it really requires a separate blog devoted to it. Finding a short introduction to point readers towards was a bit of a challenge then, but surprisingly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_South_Korea" rel="nofollow">the Wikipedia article</a> on the subject is a good start. Once you’ve read that, I recommend following it up with Matt’s plethora of articles on the subject at his blog <em>Gusts of Popular Feelin</em>g by clicking <a href="http://www.google.co.kr/search?hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&amp;hs=qTh&amp;tbo=1&amp;newwindow=1&amp;as_q=+prostitution&amp;as_epq=&amp;as_oq=&amp;as_eq=&amp;num=50&amp;lr=&amp;as_filetype=&amp;ft=i&amp;as_sitesearch=http%3A%2F%2Fpopulargusts.blogspot.com%2F&amp;as_qdr=all&amp;as_rights=&amp;as_occt=any&amp;cr=&amp;as_nlo=&amp;as_nhi=&amp;safe=off" rel="nofollow">here</a> (if that doesn’t work, simply copy and paste “prostitution site:http://populargusts.blogspot.com/” into Google), and with apologies for not mentioning them myself, other bloggers by all means feel free to promote your own posts on the subject in the comments section. My concern here though, is specifically the fact that it is primarily Russian, presumably Caucasian, women that are trafficked to work in the industry, for which I offer the following links, in roughly chronological order (source right: <em><a href="http://www.usfkforums.com/general-military-discussion/2065-interesting-poster-facts-about-prostitution-in.htm" rel="nofollow">Korea Discussion Forums</a></em>):</p>
<p>• <a href="http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/south_korea" rel="nofollow">Humantrafficking.org</a>, which has a basic introduction to the subject and links to archived articles.</p>
<p>• <a href="http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/SouthKorea.htm" rel="nofollow">Human Trafficking &amp; Modern-day Slavery</a>, with a similar archive.</p>
<p>• <a href="http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/2006/10/sex_trafficking.html" rel="nofollow">Michael Hurt’s October 2006 post on the subject</a>, with many links itself.</p>
<p>• A May 2007 article from the <a href="http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2875617" rel="nofollow"><em>JoongAng Daily</em></a>.</p>
<p>• Robert Koehler’s January 2008 post at <a href="http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/15/korea-a-sex-tourism-destination/" rel="nofollow"><em>The Marmot’s Hole</em></a> on the fact that a US Congressional Research Service report on human trafficking labeled Korea a major destination for sex tourism.</p>
<p>• GI Korea’s post at <a href="http://rokdrop.com/2008/01/21/south-korea-no-longer-sex-tourism-destination/" rel="nofollow"><em>ROK Drop</em></a> a week later on Korea being taken off that list.</p>
<p>• An editorial in <a href="http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_editorial/341437.html" rel="nofollow"><em>The Hankyoreh</em></a> in February of this year on the fact that it is the <em>victims</em> of human trafficking that are often persecuted for engaging in prostitution, despite being tricked and/or forced into it.</p>
<p>• Finally, a post by Robert Koehler <a href="http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/04/09/23-mostly-i-think-russian-working-girls-busted-in-gangnam/" rel="nofollow">in April</a> on the busting of a brothel in Gangnam, which had several Russian prostitues.</p>
<h6><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9667" title="Korean Charisma Man" src="http://thegrandnarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/korea-charisma-man.png?w=476&amp;h=560" alt="Korean Charisma Man" width="476" height="560" />( Source: <a href="http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2007/09/minjok-vs-substandard-english-teachers.html" rel="nofollow">Gusts of Popular Feeling</a> )</h6>
<p>Last but not least, no post on the title topic would be complete without the related subject of the Korean media’s portrayal of Western, Caucasian <em>male</em> teachers as sexual predators, for which I recommend <a href="http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2009/03/predators-and-sex-objects-media.html" rel="nofollow">this</a> post by Matt and the links I provide at #1 in <a href="http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2009/07/13/korean-gender-reader-july-13-2009/" rel="nofollow">this</a> post for getting a grip on. Apologies in advance to Matt in case I’ve covered any of the same material that he does, who also looks at the portrayal of Caucasian women as sex objects in that post.</p>
<p>In closing, again please feel free to link to and/or discuss any related subjects and posts that you think should be included here (my aim is to make the post as inclusive as possible), and I’d be especially grateful for readers passing on any of their own practical experiences with the issues raised in it. And apologies to everyone for the delays to writing this post and responding to comments and emails, as on Wednesday the wifi on my laptop completely stopped working…only to miraculously turn back on the instant the repair guy walked through my front door on Friday!</p>
<p><em>(For all posts in the “Korean Sociological Images” series, see <a href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/korean-sociological-images/" rel="nofollow">here</a>)</em></p>
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Posted in Korean Advertisements, Korean Commercials, Korean Sexuality, Korean Sociological Images, Korean Women's Body Images Tagged: Ahn Jung-hwan, Caucasians, 백인, 속옷, 신민아, 안정환, Korean Lingerie, Lingerie, Prostitution, Prostitution in Korea, Shin Min-a <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/9514/" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/9514/" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/godelicious/thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/9514/" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/delicious/thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/9514/" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gostumble/thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/9514/" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/stumble/thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/9514/" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/godigg/thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/9514/" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/digg/thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/9514/" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/goreddit/thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/9514/" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/reddit/thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/9514/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com&amp;blog=1231453&amp;post=9514&amp;subd=thegrandnarrative&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" /></div>http://koreabridge.net/post/korean-sociological-image-18-sexualizing-caucasian-women#commentsAhn Jung-hwanCaucasiansKorean AdvertisementsKorean CommercialsKorean LingerieKorean SexualityKorean Sociological ImagesKorean Women's Body ImagesLingerieprostitutionProstitution in KoreaShin Min-a백인속옷신민아안정환Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:21:37 +0000James Turnbull2364 at http://koreabridge.net